


Penguin Love

by Unshaded_Streaks_Of_Me



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fluff, Italian Songs, M/M, Memories of Italy, Nostalgia, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 01:07:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8267108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unshaded_Streaks_Of_Me/pseuds/Unshaded_Streaks_Of_Me
Summary: “Not a word, William.”“I don’t know, man. All I can think of now is you and Happy Feet.”“I should throw you out of my cabin.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I posted this a long time ago on tumblr and then thought I'd post it here. Based on a prompt.  
> Hope you enjoy xD

“I remember her singing.”

Will rolled over, propping himself up on his elbow to look at Nico. “Who?”

Nico was looking at the ceiling thoughtfully, almost longingly, one arm bent under his head. His brown eyes sparkled in the moonlight and Will could have almost been sure that they were brimming with tears.

He turned his face to look at Will, his lips curled in a sad smile. “Mama. I remember her singing to me at night. Some Italian lullabies, sometimes her favourite songs.”

Will shifted closer to Nico and placed his head on Nico’s shoulder. There was something almost elegant about Nico’s demeanour when he talked about his past. His bitter sweet memories mixed with his longing, the way his entire being seemed to relax, the way his hand always found its way to Will’s and traced abstract lines into his palm. It was the one time when Nico was completely immersed in his own thoughts, his voice being the only medium for Will to go there with him.

Nico took a deep breath. “Even Bianca. I remember her humming the same tunes when she cleaned her room or made her bed. You know, back in Westover.”

A pained look crossed his face. “They were beautiful singers. I remember Mama’s voice, clear and sweet. Bianca too. Though she was shyer about it.” He chuckled lowly. “I miss that, you know. Everything was so much simpler back then. Your mama tucks you in. Lullabies keep the monsters away. The gods don’t exist. Your sister doesn’t join dangerous hunting groups.”

Nico pulled out from under Will and rolled over to throw his leg across Will’s thighs. Resting his head on Will’s chest he continued, “I wish I could sing too. So it would feel like home again.”

Will ran his fingers through Nico’s hair. “Well, why don’t you?”

Nico raised his head to look at Will amusedly. “We both know how terrible I am at singing.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.”

Will hummed thoughtfully. “How about you teach me?”

Nico laughed and snuggled back into Will. “So you can butcher the pronunciations? Yeah, I don’t think so.”

Will gasped dramatically. “You wound me!”

“Go to sleep, Solace.”

Comfortable silence fell over them, coupled only with the occasional rustle of leaves outside the Hades cabin.

“What songs did they sing?” Will asked, his fingers playing with the hem of Nico’s shirt, “Do you remember?”

Nico nodded. “There’s this one song I really liked.  _ Pinguino Innamorato.  _ It means Penguin Love.”

Will snickered. Somehow the idea of penguins and Nico di Angelo did not go together at all. Of course, Nico probably knew what he was thinking which is why Will also knew that Nico was rolling his eyes.

“Not a word, William.”

“I don’t know, man. All I can think of now is you and Happy Feet.”

“I should throw you out of my cabin.”

“But Neeks, it’s late! And I want to hear  _ all _ about the penguin’s love life.”

“ _ Good night _ , Will.”

A few minutes later, Nico dozed off, his breathing steadying out. Will looked at his boyfriend’s peaceful face and wondered if he could ever help him feel at home again.

* * *

_ A few days later… _

Nico was in the infirmary, organising the medicine cabinet. The Apollo kids may have been great medics but they were terrible at organising. And seeing as Nico was a little obsessive when it came to cleaning (Will’s words, not his), he’d been appointed as the ‘chief organiser of the infirmary’ (again, Will’s words, not his). Okay, so maybe the medicine didn’t  _ have _ to be arranged alphabetically  _ and _ according to importance, but he had time and it wasn’t hurting anybody either.

Just as Nico was debating whether the Unicorn Draught should be kept before or after Unicorn Hair based on the quantity and number of vials, Will came waltzing in and pulled him into a hug.

“Hey, hot stuff,” Will purred against his ear, sending a shiver up Nico’s spine.

Rolling his eyes, Nico pushed his boyfriend away lightly. “You’re messing with my concentration, Solace.”

Will huffed and pulled away. “For arranging the medicine cabinet? Jeez, Neeks, don’t hurt your brain with all that  _ intense _ concentration.”

“Idiot.”

“Do you need help?” Will asked, glancing at the neatly arranged medicines apprehensively.

Nico hummed. “You can start arranging the stuff behind me alphabetically,” he said, motioning behind him distractedly as he glared at the vials of Unicorn Draught.

Will pulled away, muttering under his breath about ‘OCD’ and ‘unnecessary work’ and ‘stupid, cute boyfriends’ but Nico had learnt to ignore him after all the months they’d been together.

And then Will started humming.

And Nico froze.

Because he knew that music. He’d heard it every day for several years and now he could hear it behind him after  _ ages _ and  _ gods _ , it was so beautiful.

Will’s voice was perfect. Clear, like his mother, soft, like his sister’s. The playful tune, the sharp notes. It was perfect. Nico stood there frozen, his eyes filling with tears as Will continued humming behind him. And then Will started singing and Nico had to cover his mouth with his hand to hold back a sob because  _ sweet Apollo _ , Will did  _ not _ butcher the pronunciations, the lovely,  _ lovely _ boy.

“… _ col colletto duro e con il petto innamidato…  _

_ Va passeggiando per il pack _ …”

Nico bit his bottom lip and turned around to see Will still arranging the medicines like it was no big deal that he was singing an Italian song. But of course it was a big deal. Nico could  _ hear _ the smile on Will’s face as he went on singing.

Stepping closer to Will, Nico wrapped his arms around Will’s waist from behind and buried his face in his neck, tears running freely down his cheeks.

“… _ Lascia star la mia bambina! _

_ Via di qua, o marran! _ …”

Will detached himself from Nico’s embrace and turned around, holding him close, still singing, still making that beautiful music and Nico started sobbing.

Because this was what he wanted. This was what he’d been dreaming of. This was home. Right there, in Will’s arms, his beautiful boyfriend singing to him. He was back in his old bed, the room dimly lit, his mother sitting beside him, petting his hair. He could see her lips moving, her smile as she looked down at him, singing, just singing. He could see her at the kitchen counter, dancing and cooking while Bianca and Nico sang along with her. 

Home. His home.

And Will brought home to him.

“ _ …Quatto, quatto, quatto _

_ il bel pinguino Innamorato… _ ”

Nico wrapped his arms around Will’s neck and pulled him closer, still sobbing into Will’s shirt. Will leaned in closer, now whispering the lyrics in Nico’s ears as they swayed slowly on the spot in contrast to the faster beats of the song.

And Nico was home.

_ “ _ It’s  _ passeggiando _ ,” Nico sniffed after Will finished, his voice shaking.

“Okay.” Will buried his nose in Nico’s hair.

_ “ _ And you mispronounced  _ innamorato  _ twice.”

“Okay.”

“And- And you’re an idiot.”

“I know.”

“And I love you. I love you so, so much.”

Will pulled back and pressed his lips to Nico’s.

_ Home _ .

**Author's Note:**

> Will really loves his boyfriend. 
> 
> Comments make me happy! xD


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